Toy torpedo



P 11, 1962 N. A. GREENE 3,053,183

TOY TORPEDO Filed April 6, 1960 INVENTOR. NOV/n00 A. (insane I BY ATTORNEYS 3,053,183 TOY TORPEDO Norman A. Greene, 101 W. 55th St., Great Neck, NY. Filed Apr. 6, 1960, Ser. No. 20,388 Claims. (Cl. 102-37) TIhis invention relates to toys, and more particularly to toy torpedoes of the type which explode a percussion cap.

The primary object of the present invention is to generally improve toy torpedoes. A more particular object is to increase the amusement value of the toy by causing it to closely simulate the appearance of a conventional incandescent lamp bulb. It is well known that such lamp bulbs are highly evacuated, and that when thrown against a wall or pavement, they explode with a loud noise. With the present toy a child may act as though he is recklessly exploding a lamp bulb, and the throw is followed by an explosion, but the result is harmless, with no accompanying shower of broken glass.

A further object of the invention is to increase the resemblance to a true lamp bulb, and at the same time reduce the cost of the toy, by using an actual sheet metal threaded cap or base for the toy, which cap is identical with those made for lamp bulbs.

Still another object is to reduce the cost of manufacture of the main body of the toy, by blow-molding the same out of polyethylene material, which in natural color closely resembles frosted glass. Moreover, the threaded neck of the toy may be formed directly as a part of the blowmolding operation.

To accomplish the foregoing and other objects, my invention resides in the toy torpedo elements and their relation one to another, as are hereinafter more particularly described in the following specification. The specification is accompanied by a drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a partially sectioned elevation showing the parts of the toy separated;

FIG. 2 is a similar view, but showing the parts of the toy assembled; and

FIG. 3 is a bottom view.

Referring to the drawing, the toy torpedo is shaped to simulate a lamp bulb, as will be evident from the drawing. It comprises a bulb shaped body 12, preferably made of a material which is light in weight and which simulates frosted glass in appearance. There is also an anvil 14, and a hammer 16 adjacent the anvil. A percussion cap 18 is loaded between the anvil and the hammer. A suitable means 20 serves to loosely hold the hammer in position, as shown in FIG. 2. A part 22 of the hammer projects from the main body of the toy, and the mass of the anvil 14 and hammer 16 is large relative to the light weight body 12, so that when the toy is thrown in the air and falls, it lands with the hammer projection 22 foremost, and thereby explodes the percussion cap.

In the preferred structure here shown the body 12 is made of blow-molded polyethylene. It has a threaded neck 24 which is readily formed during the blow-molding operation, so that no extra manufacturing operation is required. The techniques are already known in the manufacture of squeeze bottles.

The anvil 14 is preferably made of solid metal, and it has a generally flat, circular outer face 26 which is smaller in diameter than the neck 24. A shank portion 28 of the anvil is pushed frictionally through a tightly fitting hole in the base of the neck, and it may be retained in position frictionally as shown. A slight inward bend caused at the rim of the hole by the act of insertion increases the grip on the anvil, so that it is more readily pushed in than removed. The hammer 16 is circular and registers with the anvil 14. It has a reduced portion projecting outward.

3,53,183 Patented Sept. 11, 1962 20 is a threaded sheet metal cap identical The means with those used as the base of a standard lamp bulb. In fact, it is preferably and most economically purchased from manufacturers who make these sheet metal caps for lamp manufacturers. However, in the present case the cap 20, instead of being permanently cemented to the body, is detachably screwed on the threaded neck 24 of the body. Its base has the usual large opening 29 through which the projection 22 of the hammer readily passes, and the hammer is held in position by the inwardly turned flange 30 of the cap 20.

The height of the cap exceeds the height of the threaded part 24 of the neck, and the relative dimensioning of the parts in such that when they are assembled there is more than enough space between the hammer and the anvil for the percussion cap. The projection 22 of the hammer passes through the cap, and the hammer is freely movable toward and away from the anvil.

The body 12 is preferably made of so-called linear or high-density polyethylene. The wall thickness of the bulb portion may be about fifteen or twenty thousand-ths of an inch. The thickness is substantially increased at the threaded neck 24 to sixty thousands of an inch or more. The anvil 14, the hammer 16, and the cap 20 are all made of metal. The blow-molded polyethylene body obviously is light in mass compared to the metal assembly, and therefore when the simulated lamp is thrown in the and falls, it lands with the hammer projection 22 foremost, and thereby explodes the percussion cap.

It is believed that the construction and method of use of my improved toy torpedo, as well as the advantages thereof, will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description. It will also be apparent that while I have shown and described the invention in a preferred form, changes may be made in the structure shown without departing from the scope of the invention, as sought to be defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A toy torpedo, shaped and colored to simulate a lamp bulb, said torpedo comprising a smooth round hollow closed bulb-shaped body made of a light weight material and simulating glass in appearance, said body having a large end and a small end, an anvil in the small end, a hammer adjacent the anvil, and means loosely holding the hammer in position with space between the anvil and hammer to receive a percussion cap, a part of the hammer projecting from the body, and the mass of the anvil and hammer being such relative to the large end of the body that when the toy is thrown in the air and falls, it lands with the small end and the hammer projection foremost, and thereby explodes the percussion cap.

2. A toy torpedo, shaped to simulate a lamp bulb, said torpedo comprising a smooth round hollow closed bulbshaped body having a large end and a small end with a threaded neck, an anvil secured in the neck of the body and having an outer face, a hammer disposed outside the anvil and having a reduced portion projecting outward, a threaded cap resembling the threaded base of a standard lamp bulb detachably screwed on the threaded neck of the body and loosely holding the hammer in position with space between the anvil and hammer to receive a percussion cap, the reduced portion of the hammer projecting through the base of the cap, the mass of the anvil and hammer being such relative to the large end of the body that when the toy is thrown in the air and falls, it lands with the neck and hammer projection foremost, and thereby explodes the percussion cap.

3. A toy torpedo, shaped to simulate a lamp bulb, said torpedo comprising a smooth round hallow closed body made of a light weight material resembling glass in appearance and having a large end and a small end with a threaded neck, a metal anvil secured in the neck of the body and having a generally flat, circular outer face smaller in diameter than the neck, a generally circular hammer disposed outside the anvil and having a reduced portion projecting outward, a threaded sheet-metal cap resembling the threaded base of a standard lamp bulb detachably screwed on the threaded neck of the body and loosely holding the hammer in position with space between the anvil and hammer to receive a percussion cap, the reduced portion of the hammer projecting through the base of the cap, the mass of the anvil and hammer being such relative to the large end of the light weight body that when the toy is thrown in the air and falls, it lands with the neck and hammer projection foremost, and thereby explodes the percussion cap.

4. A toy torpedo, shaped and colored to simulate a lamp bulb, said torpedo comprising a smooth round hollow closed body made of thin polyethylene resembling frosted glass in appearance, an anvil in the small end, a hammer adjacent the anvil, and means loosely holding the hammer in position with space between the anvil and hammer to receive a percussion cap, a part of the hammer projecting from the toy, and the mass of the anvil and hammer being such relative to the large end of the thin polyethylene body that when the toy is thrown in the air and falls, it lands with the small end and the hammer projection foremost, and thereby explodes the percussion cap.

5. A toy torpedo, shaped and colored to simulate a lamp bulb, said torpedo comprising a smooth round hollow closed body made of polyethylene resembling frosted glass in appearance and having a large end and a small end with a threaded neck, a metal anvil secured in the neck of the body and having a generally fiat, circular outer face smaller in diameter than the neck, a generally circular button-shaped hammer disposed outside the anvil and having a reduced portion projecting outward, a threaded sheet-metal cap the same as the threaded base of a standard lamp bulb detachably screwed on the threaded neck of the body and loosely holding the hammer in position with space between the anvil and hammer to receive a percussion cap, the reduced portion of the hammer projecting through the base of the cap, the mass of the anvil and hammer being such relative to the large end of the body that when the toy is thrown in the air and falls, it lands with the neck and hammer projection foremost, and thereby explodes the percussion cap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,710,490 Wildstein June 14, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 652,997 Great Britain May 9, 1951 

